LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Relationships experts say virtual dating during stay-at-home orders can be beneficial to show you how a potential partner handles stress, and communicates.
13 HELPS: Coronavirus Resource Guide
“Here’s the perfect scenario to be able to do that, there’s a lot of talking online going back and forth, a lot more than normal,” says Kim Taylor, marriage and family therapist. “You’re able to see if the person can be creative, if they can find a way to meet up that still fits in the rules of social distancing."
Online dating apps also want to make sure virtual conversations continue.
Tinder temporarily made their “Passport” feature free to everyone, and allows users to drop their profile to another city to look for matches.
For college students now stuck back at home, Tinder U has removed its distance radius.
The feature originally allowed college students to sign in through their school email addresses to meet other students on campus, and they were only limited to a certain range.
RELATED: Looking for love in a coronavirus world
In the United States, Tinder says conversations have been up 19 percent on average, and conversation length is 8 percent longer on average.
Bumble says when stay-at-home orders began, they saw an 84 increase in voice calls and video chats, and a 26 percent increase in messages sent.
“One of the things online that everyone complains about is that people don’t end up being what they present,” says Taylor.
While virtual dating allows you to get to know someone through conversation, it’s important to still be safe.
Clinical psychologist Dr. David Gosse says during this high-stress time, some may be on dating apps for a different reason, including solely trying to squelch loneliness or depression.
“You might end up getting hurt later on if you pick the wrong person, and you’ll be more unhappy than how you were in the first place,” says Dr. Gosse.
STAY UP TO DATE: Continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic
